Money habits people actually admit to

01The money you forgot you were spending

C+R Research found that 42% of people had forgotten about a subscription they were still paying for. Somewhere a streaming service, a fitness app or a magazine is quietly taking a few dollars a month from someone who hasn't opened it since spring.

It isn't a moral failing. Subscriptions are designed to be easy to start and easy to forget, and they work.

02The purchases nobody mentions

A 2025 survey by Bread Financial found that 45% of people had hidden a purchase from a partner. The box goes straight to recycling, the receipt disappears and the new jacket was obviously always there.

Most of these secrets are small. They're less about money and more about not wanting to explain yourself.

03Pennies, cash and charity at the till

Spot a penny on the pavement? A 2025 YouGov poll found Americans split almost exactly in half on picking it up. One half sees luck, the other sees a coin that costs more to make than it's worth.

Cash hasn't disappeared either. In the Federal Reserve's payment diary, about three in four people said they carry some.

And when the card machine asks whether you'd like to round up for charity, with the whole line watching, about half of people usually say yes.

04The big trade-offs

Would you take a lower salary for a job you love? In a 2024 KeyBank survey, 66% said they would. Whether they would on the day the offer arrives is a separate question.

Researchers at Penn and UCLA asked thousands of people whether they'd rather have more money or more time. Most chose money. The people who chose time tended to be happier, which nobody enjoys hearing.

And just over half of Americans in the Federal Reserve's household survey said they're better off than their parents were at the same age.

05Where do you land?

Cat Census asks you these questions one at a time and a crowd of cats splits to show where everyone else answered. Chapter nine is all money, and all the little lies around it.

06Questions from the census

• Do you have a subscription you forgot you're paying for?
• Do you pick up a penny off the street?
• Do you haggle at markets?
• Do you keep cash on you?
• Have you bought something because the ad was too accurate?
• Do you round up for charity at checkout?
• Do you treat yourself after a bad day with money?
• Would you rather have more money or more time?
• Have you ever hidden a purchase from someone you live with?
• If you found $100 on the street, would you try to find the owner?